The cold stone floor felt amazing against his back.

Dark thunder clouds boomed overhead and lightning arced through the clouds.

Laughter boomed like the storm above and the rain that was falling seemed to stop overhead somewhere.

“Wake up, choosen one. I have put this off far too long and was not going to miss this moment!”

Sitting up, the behemoth standing before him looked nothing like he had imagined.

A god, easily thirty feet tall, middle aged with a gut and fiery red hair on his face and head, stood a little bit away, grinning like a fool. Blue eyes that seemed to glow studied him, but in his hand was a hammer that left no doubt which god it was.

He looks nothing like the one in the movies!

“Thor?”

Putting one hand on his stomach, the god roared with laughter, lifting Mjollnir with the other and sending a bolt of lightning upward into the dark clouds. Upon reaching them it traveled through all of them, bathing the hall they were in with bright light.

“Einar Sibbison. You are a Viking worthy of the rune my father has given you. Tell me, how did it feel to strike down that troll?! It reminded me of the first time I used my Mjollnir to slay the first one!”

He could see that Thor was excited, wanting to talk like an old friend.

“I was angry. Enraged at everyone and everything that hurt my friends and family. I needed to release that anger and strike down that which threatens all the realms.”

“GOOD!”

His voice boomed as the god shouted, almost hurting his ears.

“That is why I shall offer you something for what you are doing. Many others are waiting, testing to see that you are worthy of them, but today you proved to me that we could be brothers in a different time. We could have traveled the realms, destroying all those that threaten us, drinking and sharing stories!”

This god is…

Not sure if Thor could read his mind like the Valkyrie had, Einar slowed his thoughts and kept them focused.

“I would be honored for such a time as that. Now tell me, you were offering something?”

“Bah, you are like my father, always on target! Regardless, you are going to Nidavellir after you have finished with the elves, correct?”

“I need to stop back in Midgard and take care of a few things but yes.”

Thor nodded, stroking his untamed beard with a hand for a moment.

“There is a dwarf there I want you to visit. You shall feel the thread as you do all the others and it will lead you to him. He will not stand out and he hides well in the halls there. When you find him, tell him the red bearded god is calling in his favor.”

“Okay… that’s it?”

Laughing and grabbing his midsection that shook from the movement, Thor nodded.

“Yes! Now go! Your friends are anxious and I need to return! There are much larger trolls elsewhere who demand to taste Mjollnir!”

Thor snapped his massive fingers and the clouds boomed and lightning erupted, bathing the hall once more with bright light and blinding him.

***

“He’s awake!”

Sitting up, Einar found himself in a tent, a fire going near the entrance and a few blankets on top of him.

Thorve was standing at the flap, shouting again and cries that sounded like joy came from outside.

Thor… the hall… and now…

“Why am I in here? What happened?” he asked as he started to lift up the covers.

The healer spun on her heel and leveled a shaking finger at him.

“Lay down and do not get up or so help me I won’t heal you again for a month!”

Her nostrils flared and her narrowed eyes told him that she meant it.

Instead of continuing to sit up, he laid back down, feeling his body out slowly.

I feel fine. Nothing is broken.

“You’ve been out a whole day almost! How you are alive only the gods know!”

Noise from outside began to get louder and closer and Thorve turned back to the opening and moved outside.

“Only one or two at a time!”

Arguments came, voices overlapping, and a loud whistle cut them off.

“You heard her. I’ll go in first. Afterwards, each of you may have your turn separately.”

Some grunts came, and Einar couldn’t help but smile. Whatever had taken place since he passed out, today was going to be different.

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The flap opened and Thorodd came inside, almost touching the cloth roof with his head.

“Damn, you look just as ugly as before.”

Einar grinned as he shifted a little, looking behind the man before stealing another blanket and propping himself up.

“We won, right? Any casualties?”

“Just the one Elven warrior. Others were hurt, but all recovered,” Thorodd replied. “You however… have secured trouble when we get home. What you did… lightning… Do you have any idea what happened?”

Finally comfortable and able to stay on the cot of blankets, but sitting up, Einar shrugged.

“Kind of. I did what I needed to.”

Laughter filled the tent as Thorodd howled and eventually wiped away a few tears.

“What you had too! Einar, you bastard, you were covered in lightning, moving like a bolt of it, and when you threw your axe, you sheared a fourteen foot troll in half! IN HALF!”

Thorodd’s hands were pushing up the tent ceiling as he raised them multiple times in excitement.

“We’ll ignore that part for a moment! You took TWO direct hits from a troll that smashed Hallad almost to death and still did that!”

His second in commands voice was so loud that anyone within half a mile could easily hear the story being told.

“What you did is impossible except that it means you are a chosen one and that…” Thorodd lowered his voice to a whisper and drew closer, motioning with a thumb at the entrance of the tent. “That is going to cause a lot of problems when we return home.”

“Can we keep some of it a secret for a while?”

Frowning, Thorodd stood there silently for a few seconds before grabbing a chair and moving it near Einar.

“Maybe. Your men won’t talk about it. Thorve won’t mention it. Our workers should understand, but you may need to tell them personally. A single loose lip might be ignored, but if more share the story, it will be harder to deny.”

“Then let’s do that. What about the elves? Are they willing to keep things quiet?”

Chuckling, Thorodd massaged his eyes for a moment.

“You have made me question if being second in command is worth it. Of course if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t get to witness things like I did today.”

Taking a deep breath, the large man let it out slowly.

“They will report only what must be reported. Eventually, I’m certain it will spread and the truth is, we need it too. Reaching the capital and acquiring the last items depends on our success, but it would appear your fame right now may be the quickest path.”

“Talk to Thorve. Have her meet with the elves today and see what we can do. We need to control the information for now. Anything else?”

Snorting, Thorodd bobbed his head.

“I have about a dozen or more things but nothing else that is needed now. I’m just glad you are okay and that somewhere in Asgard there are enough gods who like you that they bless us.”

***

Finally, being able to sit in a chair, Einar waited for the last two warriors who had been intentional. Everyone else had pledged their loyalty and obedience again. All of them wanted to see him with their own eyes and make sure he wasn’t shooting lightning bolts from his ass.

“Skardi, stop slinking and just sit down.”

The larger man was bent over because he couldn’t stand without his head pressing into the tent.

Sitting down as instructed, Skardi’s face made a variety of expressions as he studied Einar.

“Just say it.”

Nodding, the warrior took a deep breath and let it out.

“I owe you two deaths now.”

“You don’t–”

A large hand appeared before him and Skardi shook his head.

“Please forgive me but let me finish. The first death is from when I was young and the gods forgave that. I earned that death. My foolishness and pride. It was a lesson that taught me how wrong I was about so many things. You taught me that and I followed those damn workouts you sent to the letter. Every day, I grew stronger because of you.”

Snorting, Skardi shook his head as he grinned.

“You were halfway across the realm and yet you kicked my ass every day. I’m half the warrior or more today because since that fight in the tournament, you have destroyed me every moment of my life. Part of me did it at first because I figured eventually I could defeat you. If I found your secret, if I grew stronger, one day we could fight again and I would win.

“Yesterday destroyed that false belief. I was foolish after my first death was forgiven. I rushed head first, ignoring the danger around me and today I almost died. I should have died. Yet you, somehow standing after blocking that tree meant for Bodalf, shoved me out of the way and took an attack that would have killed me. Yet you withstood it. You somehow pushed back, fighting that mountain of strength, and didn’t give in.

“I tried to free you as quickly as I could. Dragged you away to safety and watched as you fell to the ground, but I couldn’t stay. I owed you another death, and I wasn’t going to let that last troll claim anyone else's.”

Skardi’s face changed as he talked. Slowly, the pained look faded and a blank expression appeared as he worked through the things on his mind.

“Then you appeared. The fight wasn’t easy, and we were getting closer to the traps, hoping to trip it up, cause it to stumble, something so we could all engage it.

“Like Thor himself, except much smaller, you came, white glowing eyes and radiating with power that could strike down a giant! Your axe did more damage in that single strike than anything I have witnessed! Even more than Osvif and his two logs, which basically killed the other troll! It cut a troll in half! In half!”

Shaking his head before starting to laugh slightly, Skardi’s eyes rose from where he had been looking at the table and locked onto Einar’s.

“Your axe was found over a quarter of a mile away. Trees had been felled as it flew through them, sheering them off like a sharp knife against flesh.

“And then you passed out. Everyone wasn’t sure what had happened. Some wondered if Thor himself had come upon you and empowered you, and when he left, the shell he had taken over was no more.

“Now here you are, looking normal and not a single scratch on your body. Even Thorve complained about how she didn’t have to heal you that much.”

Scratching the scruff on his chin, Skardi took a few more breaths and then smiled.

“Thank you. I owe you so much, but I wanted to just say thank you.”

“For what?”

A few tears began to form on the giant’s cheeks, rolling like raindrops on a shield.

“Changing me… changing this,” Skardi said as he tapped his chest. “Inside here is a different Viking now. One that doesn’t care just about himself or the power I can have. I don’t need to be better or stronger than my father if it doesn’t help the men in our pack. I realized yesterday what fighting for others really means. You showed me that when you almost died in my place.”

Einar stood, moved to the edge where Skardi sat and held out his hand.

“I’m honored to have you in my pack. Since the day I met you, the day we fought, I knew you were different. But the day you laid your axe before me, I knew I wanted you by my side. You are the warrior Odin needs to stop Ragnarok.”

Skardi leapt to his feet, grabbed Einar’s wrist and pulled him close, bear hugging him with one arm for a moment.

A few gentle taps on the massive Viking’s back got him to let go and step back.

“Whenever you call, no matter the cost, I’m there.”

“Thank you,” Einar replied. “Now if you don’t mind, send Osvif in. I think he’s the last one.”

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Skardi nodded and moved to the tent flap.

“Shorty! It’s time for you to cry like the rest of us!”

Laughter came from everyone who was gathered outside, and the flap opened up.

Osvif, however, wasn’t smiling as so many of the others had been.

Instead, he wore a frown Einar knew too well.

He’s pissed.